Incident
On 17 August 2002 at 12:30 local time, a glider departed the Segelfluggelände in Malmsheim under motor glider tow. According to witness statements, the aircraft performed three loops. At approximately 12:55, near Bad Liebenzell-Unterhaugstett, the glider struck the top of a spruce tree at an altitude of about 30 meters and then fell nearly vertically into a mixed forest area 70 meters to the east. The pilot was found lifeless in the cockpit.
Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU). The pilot had no externally visible injuries but could not be resuscitated. An autopsy determined that the pilot had suffered a medically induced heart attack closely related to the time of the accident. The aircraft was destroyed due to collisions with trees; minor ground damage occurred. No licenses, logbooks, or aircraft registration documents were found at the scene. The aircraft was an Alexander Schleicher ASH 26E, serial number 26120, built in 1997. No evidence of technical defects in the glider was found.
Conclusion
The investigation was closed summarily in accordance with §18 FlUUG. No probable cause was officially stated.